Former state delegate from Prince George's sentenced to prison in bribery conviction

A former state delegate from Prince George’s County has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme while serving as a county councilman, federal prosecutors said Friday. William Alberto Campos, 43 of Hyattsville, was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $340,000 in restitution for the charges — one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery. Maryland's highest court is scheduled to hear from a private lawyer trying to remove former state Sen. Nathaniel Oaks from the June 26 primary election ballot and state lawyers who say doing so will be too disruptive to the process. (Balt. Sun)

Appeals court: Kamenetz's death doesn't mean Oaks should be removed from ballot

The Maryland Court of Appeals denied a motion Friday to reconsider its refusal to order the name of disgraced ex-lawmaker Nathaniel T. Oaks off the 41st District's primary ballots, rejecting an argument that the sudden death last week of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kevin B. Kamenetz could cause all the state's ballots to be reprinted. (Md. Matters)

May 18 // Valerie Ervin to run for Maryland governor in place of late running mate Kevin Kamenetz

Democrat Valerie Ervin is running for Maryland governor in place of her former running mate, Kevin Kamenetz, who died suddenly last week. Ervin’s unusual entry into the campaign less than six weeks before the June 26 Democratic primary maintains a crowded field of seven major candidates with no clear front-runner. The 61-year-old Montgomery County resident selected Marisol Johnson, a former Baltimore County school board member, to join a ticket that faces significant obstacles to gain traction with no time to spare: They have little money, a new campaign staff and their names will not appear on millions of ballots that have already been printed. (Balt. Sun)

Nine Democrats will compete for face time in Md. gubernatorial debates

Nine candidates vying to be Maryland’s Democratic nominee for governor will have a few minutes each to distinguish themselves in four upcoming televised debates, with the first one airing Monday night. If you hope to track who thinks what, you may want to keep a spreadsheet handy. Trying to be inclusive and show unity, the candidates agreed the entire field should be invited, party leaders say. That includes several candidates who have money in the bank and full-fledged campaign operations but are polling in the low single digits and two who have raised almost no money and have lottery-like odds of winning. (Wash. Post)

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) debuted a television advertisement Thursday, the first in the heated race for county executive. In the 30-second ad — which will air on cable and broadcast stations in the county — Alsobrooks says residents in the Washington suburb have heard for too long that the county is “on the brink” of success. “We can give our kids the education they deserve, we can keep our neighborhoods safe, and we can respect the seniors who built this community,” Alsobrooks says. “Let’s fulfill the promises of Prince George’s County together.” (Wash. Post)

Campaign shots fired in Frederick County

A county executive candidate simultaneously took aim at gun restrictions and so-called “sanctuary counties.” Perhaps a sign that campaign season is in full swing, County Councilman Kirby Delauter on Wednesday announced his position on the hot-button issues by saying he would submit a proposed resolution to make Frederick County a “sanctuary county” for gun owners. His choice of words made reference to the term used for jurisdictions that, at varying levels, limit their cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (News-Post)

'Hogan Team' and newcomers vie for Md. House of Delegates seats at Carroll forum

All three District 5 Maryland House of Delegates incumbents vied for Carroll County’s support for re-election as a team Wednesday night, against two newcomers who said they hope to shake things up in Annapolis. The panel forum — hosted by the Community Media Center in Westminster and moderated by Carroll County Times Editor Wayne Carter — gave the delegates the opportunity to delve into controversial topics and share what their plans would be if Carroll County residents voted for them to represent District 5 in the state’s capital. (Carr. Co. Times)

If Ben Jealous is not elected governor of Maryland, it won’t be because he played it safe. Consider: Jealous wants to make Maryland the first state to adopt its own single-payer health care system. He wants to reduce the state’s prison population by 30 percent. He wants tuition-free education at its public colleges and universities. And that’s just to start. The goals being set by the former NAACP president — one of seven major Democrats vying to take on Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the fall — are daunting enough that detractors insist he’s over-promising. But Jealous, 45, says he excels at forging coalitions to achieve lofty, difficult goals. (Balt. Sun)